Mr. Bush's Plan: Words & Deeds...

The Pittsburgh Tribune Review ^ | 09-18-05 | Editorial

[smoothsailing]

Mr. Bush's plan: Words & deeds ...

Sunday, September 18, 2005

President Bush did what he had to do Thursday night in New Orleans. He offered soothing words, showed leadership by falling on the homeland defense sword and offered an ambitious plan to help rebuild the Gulf Coast.

And while we might quibble with some of the details, we applaud the president.

The federal government will take the lead in rebuilding hurricane-devastated public infrastructure -- roads, bridges, schools and water and sewage systems. And we are heartened by Mr. Bush's fealty to strict oversight to combat fraud.

Laudable, too, is the president's commitment to state and local control "in planning for their own future." Critical, though, is the proviso of better building standards and zoning rules to avoid repeating the insanity exploited by Hurricane Katrina.

But the most important part of the president's recovery plan will be the most difficult: tackling the region's deeply entrenched poverty. This nation must finally admit that it is the mind-set of entitlement -- the welfare state -- that exacerbated Gulf Coast poverty. To that end, Mr. Bush offers a boot-strap approach.

There will be incentives for job-creating business investment in the region, grants for education and job-training and greatly expanded opportunities for home ownership. The hands-up approach always is preferable to handouts. The trick will be to prevent the former from devolving into the latter.

[Domangart]

I saw this woman on the news tonight that said when she recovers in TWO MONTHS she was going to get a job. Sorry no sale.

[MEG33]

Indeed..and in LA they will be dealing with these guys..
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9232666/site/newsweek/
snip
Not long after the levees broke last week and Lake Pontchartrain began flowing into New Orleans, a local businessman phoned me to say that a local agency is supposed to keep up the levees. The Orleans Parish Levee Board, appointed by the mayor and state governor, is supposed to watch out for exactly the weaknesses that brought on the chaos. I was amazed. All the more so when the businessman added that instead the levee board has been busy recently with other matters—investing in local casinos.

snip

[No Longer Free State]

tackling the region's deeply entrenched poverty

What, Pittsburg doesn't have its own "deeply entrenched poverty? How superior yankee editors get when discussing the South.

[smoothsailing]

Shhh! Nobody's supposed to know about Pittsburgh's deeply entrenched poverty.The Democrats would rather you talked about the Steelers! ;)

[spinestein]

[But the most important part of the president's recovery plan will be the most difficult: tackling the region's deeply entrenched poverty. This nation must finally admit that it is the mind-set of entitlement -- the welfare state -- that exacerbated Gulf Coast poverty. To that end, Mr. Bush offers a boot-strap approach.]


This paragraph contains a contradiction based on a common misperception. It's true that there are certain pockets in America where poverty is concentrated, and it's also true that the mind set of entitlement and dependency on welfare is largely to blame for its longevity and pervasiveness.

But it's the proponents of entitlement programs who ridicule the self-reliant and responsible attitude that allows people to remove themselves from that same poverty. They mock the idea by saying that we (rich, white Republicans) expect poor people to raise themselves up by their bootstraps, which they know is an impossibility.



Yes, I know it's nitpicking but some nits need to be picked. :^)

And words mean things.

[spinestein]

Ha.

Our own great blue state of Illinois doesn't have any entrenched poverty.

At least not much.

Or... well... maybe in just parts of Chicago... and maybe a few of the suburbs... and Aurora... Rockford... Joliet... Elgin... a bit of the southern part of the state... a little bit near the middle... and maybe... Urrrrmmmm..............

[smoothsailing]

You know,I've never understood that expression either,at least not literally.

I like your nit picking,though,It gave me a chuckle.

One the dems do that bugs me is "the Republicans are cutting" so and so program,when a reduction in the rate of increase has occured.The press always runs with it anyway and too many people fall for it.

[Knitebane]

You forgot: East St. Louis

It's frightening that to get from Illinois to St. Louis you have to drive through one of the most blighted areas in the country. The worst parts pretty much surround I-64.

[zlala]

After church bump.

[BamaGirl]

Have you read Sowell's "Black Rednecks and White Liberals?" It demonstrates quite persuasively that the main reason some groups stay stuck in poverty isn't racism and social injustice but lack of a culture of responsibility. Really fascinating stuff! I bet you'd like it.

[spinestein]

I'll make sure to get it and read it this week. Sowell is awesome.



Have you read John McWhorter's "Losing The Race"?

[BamaGirl]

No -- I should put that on my list though!

Thanks for the tip!